Villagers, many of whom lost their homes, crops, and even a man who was killed by elephants perform a "puja" or holy ceremony to the Hindu God Lord Ganesha who is half human and half elephant to ask him to protect the village from real elephants coming back and causing more destruction near Tezpur in Assam, eastern India January 6, 2004. Villagers have been forced to stay up lighting fires, banging tin cans, throwing firecrackers to keep elephants from destroying their crops, homes and somtimes killing people. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by the deforestation caused by encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests. As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)&#xA;